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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27005275">The Spy Who Surprised Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingMechanicalHeart/pseuds/GlowingMechanicalHeart'>GlowingMechanicalHeart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober20 [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, Engineer Tony, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Spies &amp; Secret Agents, Spy Pepper, Surprises, fictober20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:14:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>976</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27005275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingMechanicalHeart/pseuds/GlowingMechanicalHeart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony wondered how he’d managed to piss The Boss so badly, that he had been sent to retrieve the information. No, scratch that, he knew. It was a damnable prank war that ended with The Boss getting pelted with water balloons.</p><p>Fuck his life. Teaches him not to challenge Rhodey ever again. Oh who he’s kidding, he’d probably do it again in a heartbeat. Except, he’d probably release his spy bugs and prevent the pranks from directly affecting The Boss.</p><p>Because he, should never – ever – leave the comfort of his lab. He’s not built, nor has the temperament for information retrieval. It doesn’t help that he’s going to meet with the woman he’s half in love with in a high end bar for drinks. He rubs his faces with his hands and grimaces, Virginia Potts is SWORD’s best.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pepper Potts/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober20 [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fictober20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Spy Who Surprised Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for fictober-event, prompt #14.- You better leave now</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony wondered how he’d managed to piss The Boss so badly, that he had been sent to retrieve the information. No, scratch that, he knew. It was a damnable prank war that ended with The Boss getting pelted with water balloons.</p><p>Fuck his life. Teaches him not to challenge Rhodey ever again. Oh who he’s kidding, he’d probably do it again in a heartbeat. Except, he’d probably release his spy bugs and prevent the pranks from directly affecting The Boss.</p><p>Because he, should never – ever – leave the comfort of his lab. He’s not built, nor has the temperament for information retrieval. It doesn’t help that he’s going to meet with the woman he’s half in love with in a high end bar for drinks. He rubs his faces with his hands and grimaces, Virginia Potts is SWORD’s best. She’s of average height, but she looks delicate and always so elegant, beautiful too. Bright blue eyes, copper hair and skin like peaches with cream. And he’s been nursing a serious infatuation since she walked to his lab to test a new gun. </p><p>He shakes his head, heads for the bathroom and splashes cold water on his face. He’s not going to fuck it up. He’s not going to give The Boss the satisfaction. So, he changes to a nice suit and tie, combs his hair, dons his equipment and heads out the door.</p><p>The bar is not full, but it’s not entirely empty and he manages to grab a table in the corner from where he can see everything. Just because he prefers making fun tools, doesn’t mean he’s an idiot damn it. Orders a martini extra dry and waits.</p><p>Vir – no, she’s Pepper for the mission, walks in twenty minutes after him. Seats herself at the bar, she’s lovely and he can’t help but to stare at her, she’s wearing a form fitting blue dress and her hair is down. Fuck. Pepper begins to look around, until she spots him. They flirt from a distance for a while, until she decides to walk to his table.</p><p>He stands, she grins and leans forward to whisper in his ear. “Hello there, handsome. May I join you?”</p><p>“Of course! Nothing quite like having beautiful company for a while, don’t you think?”</p><p>She smiles, nods and sits opposite side of him. Arches a well sculpted brow. “Thank you for your invitation, kind sir.” Her voice is a low purr that sends a chill down his spine. “I was afraid of growing bored alone in the bar.”</p><p>“Well then,” He offers her a rakish grin. “Good that I am here.”</p><p>“Good indeed.” She tilts her head, “Buy me a drink?”</p><p>He raises a hand and calls for another drink like his, only hers has extra olives. The tiny smile she gives him tells him that his notice of her usual drink is appreciated. They flirt back and forth for a while, exchange fake names and all.</p><p>“Well miss Potter, how’s your mom?” He asks once the waiter has gone.</p><p>She sighs. “She’ll be fine. She’s weak, but she won’t go without a fight.”</p><p>That’s the cue for ‘I was followed’. Fuck his life twice over. They’ll have to make this quick. “Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. You know, I know a good medic I could recommend, if you had a pen I could write down his number.”</p><p>“Oh that would be wonderful,” she beams at him. Twists to her left, opening the small little purse she carried, pulls up a pen and a scrap of paper and he reaches out a hand. Three things pass onto his: A pen, a scrap of paper and a memory card.</p><p>He manages to hide the memory card, while not giving anything away, scribbles a number on the paper and gives it to her. “Doctor Banner’s the best, he’ll be happy to help. And if he can’t, then, he’ll send you to someone who can.”</p><p>She smiles and leans forward, her whole face a mask of complete seduction and he swallows the knot at his throat. “You better leave now,” she says, breaking character. Then, much to his surprise, she kisses the corner of his mouth. “You’ll have to excuse me handsome, I’ll go and powder my nose.” She stands and doesn’t look back.</p><p>He gives her three minutes, pays the bill and hightails out of the bar into the waiting car. Inside, Happy Hogan gives him an amused look at his fright. “She was followed, huh?”</p><p>He nods. </p><p>“Don’t worry about Pep, sir, she’s the best. She’ll be fine.”</p><p>“I know she’ll be, I’m just worried. She’s there alone.”</p><p>“She’s not alone. You just weren't cleared to know that someone else was watching.”</p><p>He stares at Happy’s amused face. Curses up a storm. Damn The Boss, that utter bastard. He’ll pay somehow. Maybe he can change his coffee for decaf? That’s an idea.</p><p>The Boss laughs, after getting his report. Sends him home with a pat on the back and a ‘well done’. He scowls all the way into his apartment, and once he opens the door to his apartment, he realizes that there’s someone there. It’s Virginia. He freezes in his spot.</p><p>“Hey handsome,” her voice is a purr and all of him melts. “I came to visit my favorite inventor.”</p><p>His mind is not working properly, but thankfully, he manages a “Hey, welcome then.” He might not have been as smooth as he’d like, but she’s here in his home and he’s going to do his best to be a good host. Who knows what will come out of this. He walks into his apartment and closes the door behind him. Outside, it’s dark and very few people are out. But for Tony Stark, the world just narrowed down to his living room and the red headed woman in it.</p>
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